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Location

Lake
Tekapo

New Zealand

About Lake Tekapo

Located in the heart of New Zealand’s beautiful South Island, Lake Tekapo is one of the most amazing places you’ll ever see! By day, the vivid turquoise-blue lake is framed by golden mountains with pure skies above. By night, a dazzling array of stars appear with unique features only seen in the Southern skies. Tekapo is situated in the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, one of the best stargazing places on earth!
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THE LAKE TEKAPO VILLAGE

The Lake Tekapo Village is home to a small but vibrant community of 500 people from New Zealand and around the world. Services include restaurants and cafes, retail shops, a petrol station and a supermarket. A wide variety of accommodation is available, from 5-star bed and breakfasts to hotels to unique holiday homes. Tourist activities include scenic flights, horse-riding, stargazing, hot pools, skiing and more!

Find out more about Lake Tekapo

THE MACKENZIE REGION

From snow-capped mountains to golden tussock-lands to dazzling blue lakes, the Mackenzie Region is a unique and treasured landscape in New Zealand. The main towns are Tekapo, Fairlie, Twizel and Aoraki/Mt Cook Village with a small population of just 5,700. Home to the tallest mountain, the longest glacier, the most beautiful night skies, and breath-taking open spaces, the Mackenzie Region is a must-do for all travellers!

Find out more about the Mackenzie Region

Planning your Lake Tekapo trip

HOW TO FIND US

Lake Tekapo is located in the middle of the South Island of New Zealand, a 3-hour drive from Christchurch or Queenstown. There is no domestic or international airport, so driving is the main form of transportation.

Driving times

  • Christchurch to Lake Tekapo:
    3 hours
  • Queenstown to Lake Tekapo:
    3 hours
  • Lake Tekapo to Aoraki/Mt Cook:
    1.25 hours
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What to
do

Next to visiting the Tekapo Springs complex for a soak in the hot pools, a day spa treatment, a star gazing tour or just a nice coffee or good beer on our panoramic terrace (and don’t forget about our summer and winter activities!), there are plenty of other things to do in Tekapo and the wider area.

Below are some links to companies that we recommend, but make sure to check out the Mackenzie NZ website for even more recommendations and contact details of hunting, fishing and bird-watching guides as well as bike tour/rental companies and more information about our local retail stores.

There are also several walkways and bike tracks in the area, and the Lake Tekapo Regional Park offers plenty of recreational activities (including disc golf) too.

events

From markets to festivals and sports events: there’s often something on in the beautiful Mackenzie Region. We are highly involved in our local communities activities and often find ourselves sponsoring these fantastic events.

For the most up to date overview of events, please check out the following local websites:

Tekapo & Mackenzie

Twizel

Transport

From the
Airport

There is no public airport in Tekapo. The closest international airports are in Christchurch and Queenstown, a 3-hour drive from either direction.
Christchurch Airport
Queenstown Airport

Getting around
in Lake Tekapo

Please note that as a rural town, we don’t have local taxis. The best option is to drive yourself, or many of our activities and restaurants are within a walking distance too. To get to Lake Tekapo, we would suggest checking out the following coach and mini bus services that are available from major centres in the South Island:

Intercity
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